We know when pupils need help if:

• Concerns are raised by parents/carers, external agencies, teachers, or the pupil’s previous school, regarding a pupil’s level of progress or inclusion.
• A pupil asks for help.
• Screening, such as that completed on entry or as a result of a concern being raised, indicates gaps in knowledge and/or skills. This may include the Reception Baseline assessment, language based assessments such as Speech screen or the TALC language comprehension assessment, the Year 1 phonics screening test amongst other in school assessment processes including Read Write Inc assessments, Doodle Maths and use of the Boxall Profile.
• Assessment information highlights pupils making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances. This can be characterised by progress which:

• is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline

• fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress

• fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers

• widens the attainment gap

• Assessment may also identify where a pupil needs support in relation to areas other than attainment such as in relation to social and emotional needs or support in periods of transition.

• Observation of the pupil indicates that they have additional needs in one or more of the four broad areas of need: Cognition and Learning, Communication and Interaction, Social, Emotional and Mental Health and Sensory or Physical.